Steam superheater



Oct. 11, 1938. L C SOUTHCOTT 2,132,658

STEAM SUPERHEATER Filed Aug. 178, 1957 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEAM SUPERHEATER pany, New York, N. Y.

Application August 18, 1937, Serial No. 159,693 In Great Britain August 22, 1936 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to superheaters, particularly those of the type having tubular units or elements located in a housing, such as a boiler setting, with the ends of such elements extending upwardly out through the roof of the housing; and has for its object the provision of improved means for supporting these elements.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a boiler equipped with a superheater supported in accordance with my invention;

Figs. 2 to 5 are fragmentary views to larger scale showing certain details of the means for supporting the superheater elements in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates a bank of horizontally inclined water tubes above a furnace or combustion chamber, and 2 indicates generally superheater elements having loop portions depending vertically in the gas path above said tubes I. At the top of the said gas path upper boiler circulating tubes 3 are arranged, the tubes 3 being appropriately connected at one end to the steam and water drum 4, and some of them being utilized to support the roof 5 of the gas passage. Above the roof 5 there is disposed a suitable structure formed of beams or girders which includes spaced beams or girders that support the inlet and outlet headers 6, I, one of such girders, marked 8, appearing in Fig. 1. Suspended from the headers 6, 1, is a series of element supporting members 9, each of suitable cross section, these members, appropriately spaced apart being distributed across the width of the superheater, i. e. throughout the required length of the headers. Element supporting straps l0 rest on the members 9 and on the inlet and outlet legs or end portions of the elements vertically adjustable sleeves II are provided which bear at their lower ends on the respective straps l0. Conveniently a threaded sleeve [2, Fig. 5, is welded to each element leg at an appropriate position thereon, the respective adjustable sleeve I I being screwed on to such sleeve I2. The element ends are connected to the headers in the customary or any appropriate manner, for instance by ball joints. The independent support of the elements relieves such joints or connections of the stress arising from the weight of the elements.

Damper means may be provided for controlling the gas flow over the superheater elements and thereby the final steam temperature. For example, dampers may be fitted in the baffle I3 as indicated at I4 Fig. 1, whereby a regulated proportion of the gas which has flowed over the tube bank I may by-pass the superheater elements 2 and flow directly into the downtake l5.

By the present invention an improved arrangement and mounting of superheaters for steam generators is obtained which leaves the units free to expand or contract in response to changes in temperature without stressing any joint or part of the structure, and also makes it easy to withdraw and replace units when this becomes necessary.

What I claim is:

' 1. In apparatus of the kind described, a tubular superheater element whose two end portions extend vertically upward, a supporting member embracing each of the end portions, girder members on which the supporting members rest, and vertically adjustable sleeves on said end portions which bear on the supporting members, said vertically adjustable sleeves being arranged in pairs, one of each pair being secured to the element end portion and the other engaging the first one and the supporting member.

2. 'In apparatus of the kind described, a tubular superheater element whose two end portions extend vertically upward, a supporting member embracing each of the end portions, girder members on which the supporting members rest, and vertically adjustable sleeves on said end portions which bear on the supporting members, said vertically adjustable sleeves being arranged in pairs, one of each pair being welded to the element end portion and the other being screw-threaded on the first and engaging the supporting member.

LEONARD CLEMENT SOUTHCO'I'I. 

